1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of surgery and, more particularly, to methods of reconstructive knee surgery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using interference screw fixation are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,211,647 and 5,320,626. In general, these methods of ACL reconstruction involve drilling a tunnel through the tibia, drilling a closed tunnel (socket) into the femur, inserting a substitute ACL graft into the tunnels, and securing the grafts to the walls of the tibial and femoral tunnels using interference screws or the like. Accurate positioning of the tibial and femoral tunnels is accomplished using a drill guide, examples of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,269,786 and 5,350,383, incorporated herein by reference.
One drawback of the described methods of ACL reconstruction is that forming the tibial tunnel involves removal of significant amounts of bone material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,716 discloses a technique for ACL reconstruction that avoids the above-noted problem by forming sockets in both the femur and the tibia using a coring bone harvester. The harvester is impacted into bone to a desired depth so that bone material collects as a bone core within the harvester tube. The bone core is extracted from the bone socket using a simultaneous twisting and pulling motion. Such harvesting of bone cores in the joint is technically difficult. Accordingly, the need exists for a method of ACL reconstruction, and related instrumentation, that provides tibial socket formation without the need for extracting a bone core to form a bone socket and to avoid drilling through growth plates in skeletally immature patients. There is also a need for a minimally invasive method of ACL reconstruction, and related instrumentation, that provides drilling of femoral and tibial sockets or tunnels independently of one another and minimizes incisions of distal cortices and reduces intraarticular bone fragmentation of tunnel rims.